MIAMI, FL - MARCH 14: Teruaki Sato #7 of team Japan bats during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Quarterfinals game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Japan at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: Third base will be one of the most scrutinized positions for the Yankees to upgrade this offseason after they got next to nothing from Ryan McMahon, and the biggest name on the market is Teruaki Sato from the Hanshin Tigers. The reigning Central League MVP and superstar in the NPB, Sato is will be 28 by the time next season starts and is high up on many teams’ wish lists this offseason, and the Tigers made it official that they will post Sato after the NPB season ends. Polishuk notes that the impending lockout could mess with Sato’s posting window, as all transactions would freeze on December 1st leading to the possibility that Sato has to sit through the lockout before resuming his posting window and the potential for him to stay in Japan for one more year should the lockout go long enough.
MLB.com | Brent Maguire: It comes as no real surprise, but reports have come out confirming that Aaron Boone will be the Yankees’ manager in 2027. The team was upended in the ALDS for the second consecutive season by the team that beat them out for the AL East crown, but with one year on his deal remaining it would’ve taken a real rift in the clubhouse or pressure from Hal Steinbrenner to actually fire Boone. Instead, he’ll get this next year to try and make it back to the Fall Classic, but if he falls short of the main goal again perhaps they’ll think about not renewing said contract and moving on.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: Austin Wells’ lost first half of the season was in no small part due to the cervical headaches he was suffering which prompted an IL stint in June. The cause of said headaches, though? Wells believes it was due to several hard foul tips that opposing batters lined into his mask, citing a couple moments against Boston and Milwaukee in particular. The perils of donning the tools of ignorance are no laughing matter, and Wells has done a fine job behind the plate when healthy. To all those who want to see Ben Rice spend time back there, take heed of Wells’ 53 wRC+ before that IL stint and ask yourselves if the Yankees should subject their newest star to potentially going through something similar.
San Jose Sharks (4-4-1, in the Pacific Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (4-3-1, in the Atlantic Division)
Montreal, Quebec; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Canadiens -211, Sharks +171; over/under is 6.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the San Jose Sharks after Cole Caufield scored two goals in the Canadiens' 4-3 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Montreal is 4-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 at home. The Canadiens have committed 43 total penalties (5.4 per game) to rank fifth in league play.
San Jose has gone 2-2-1 on the road and 4-4-1 overall. The Sharks have given up 31 goals while scoring 22 for a -9 scoring differential.
The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.
INJURIES: Canadiens: Florian Xhekaj: out (lower-body), Ivan Demidov: out (lower-body), Mike Matheson: day to day (lower-body), Lucas Condotta: out (undisclosed), Bryce Pickford: out (undisclosed), Samuel Montembeault: out (lower-body).
Sharks: Kyle Keyser: out (upper body), Quentin Musty: out (upper body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
On Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins had one more opportunity to salvage points from a four-game Western road swing that, so far, had not gone their way.
Unfortunately, they came up empty.
Despite a late push that nearly tied the game, the Penguins dropped their fourth-straight game, this time at the hands of the Utah Mammoth, 5-4. The loss ended their road trip at 0-4, and they dropped to 3-6-1 on the season.
Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Declan Carlile found the back of the net for the Penguins, while goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 Utah shots. The Penguins had a late push in the final minute during 6-on-5 play, but it wasn't enough to overcome what was yet another deep-dug hole.
Pittsburgh actually opened up the scoring in this one when Erik Karlsson, just a minute and 11 seconds in, threw a puck toward the net on the power play that hit Mackenzie Weegar on the way in and trickled past Mammoth netminder Sebastian Cossa to make it 1-0.
However, the lead didn't last too long, as Lawson Crouse connected on a nice pass from down low to Clayton Keller breaking through the slot with his speed, and he put it past Silovs to tie the game six minutes in. Kevin Stenlund gave the Mammoth the lead just past the midway point.
The Penguins got another power play opportunity just before the seven-minute mark of the second period, and just eight seconds into the power play opportunity, Rakell got the puck down low around the net. He used his reach on a stuff attempt, and it was a success, giving him his long-awaited first goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2.
But Utah hit back with some momentum of their own. Nate Schmidt potted one from the point a few minutes later to retake the lead for the Mammoth, and a few minutes after that, Kailer Yamamoto beat Chinakhov on a play to make it 4-2.
A minute and a half into the third, Utah added to their lead with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, who scored his team-leading fifth man-advantage goal of the season. But the Penguins did respond in the form of Chinakhov's second goal of the season less than a minute and a half later, which also marked the first points for Andrei Kuzmenko and Spencer Stastney as Penguins on the assists.
After a long stretch without a shot, the Penguins grabbed momentum in the second half of the final frame. To cap off a nice cycle by the first line, Declan Carlile broke down the left side and finished a play to bring the Penguins to within one at 5-4.
And, at the end of the game, they came very close to tying it. Pittsburgh was getting some sustained pressure with the goaltender pulled, and they even forced a few icing calls to keep tired Utah players on the ice. After a few blasts by Karlsson and Rakell missed the net, Karlsson finally did put one on net, and Cossa let a rebound squirt to Ben Kindel on the doorstep.
Kindel shot it toward the net with the seconds ticking off the clock, and Cossa made a pad save in desperation to preserve the Mammoth lead and send the Penguins home pointless.
Here are a few takeaways from the Penguins' most recent loss:
- The result wasn't what the Penguins wanted. But there are some good things that happened in this game that the team can build on, especially after some pretty drastic lineup changes.
It's no small thing that Rakell and Chinakhov both scored in this game. And not only did they score, they were two of the game's best players, with Chinakhov flanking Crosby's left and Rakell on Kindel's right. If those two - the Penguins' two best pure goal-scorers - can get going, they will be much better for it.
The power play also stayed hot and scored on both of its opportunities in this game. It's three for its last three opportunities, and if that unit can get hot, the Penguins will - again - be much better for it.
Karlsson, who did record his first goal of the season, registered his team-leading 10th and 11th points of the season to give him 11 points in 10 games. His 11 points is tied for third in the NHL among defensemen, as he only trails Evan Bouchard (16 points) and Quinn Hughes (12 points).
And the push in the back half of the third showed that this team is capable of finding another level. Kindel was so, so close to tying that game, and Cossa made the save. The effort was too little, too late, but it's something to build on.
- As far as the defense? Yeah, it hasn't looked great. The details haven't been there. The own-zone coverage has been atrocious, to put it nicely.
But there is a very large something to be considered here.
The Penguins have five new players on their blue line. Three or four of them are playing on any given night, and every pairing has at least one new face.
Yes, every team in the NHL has been forced to work around a much-shortened preseason and training camp. But no team in hockey has as many new faces on the blue line as the Penguins. It's well-known that it typically takes defensemen a bit more time to adjust to new teams, new partners, and new systems.
The defense has been a letdown, but if there can be a neutral take from this, much of the inconsistency and utterly baffling breakdowns can probably trace back to the fact that these guys simply have not had a lot of runway together. It's the same thing on the forward front, but it's even more true on the blue line: It's going to take some time for the coaching staff and the players to figure out the right combinations on the back end.
Maybe this defense is far worse than last season's, maybe it isn't. The simple fact of the matter is that it's game 10, they have four of those five new defensemen on the NHL roster and playing, and more time and experimentation is needed to truly determine what things are probably going to look like for the remainder of the season.
If the same issues and breakdowns persist with this frequency two or three weeks from now, yes, that's a different conversation. But, for now, the blue line needs more time to figure out what works and what doesn't. The shortened camp did not afford the opportunity for any runway whatsoever, especially with prospect-heavy preseason action.
Even if it's not entirely an excuse, it has certainly been a factor.
- That said, yes, Carlile did score a goal, and a big one.
But he has displayed some problematic defense for several games now.
In a few previous games, defensive zone turnovers were the culprit. It was clear that he and Karlsson were not meshing as a pairing, so he was put on a second pairing with Kaedan Korczak in this one, while Stastney was stapled to Karlsson.
The culprits in this one for Carlile? Two blown net-front coverages. He failed to win a net-front battle against Stenlund on his goal, and his failure to box out Jack McBain at the net-front resulted in him screening Silovs on Schmidt's goal.
Then, on the power play goal, Schmaltz was left completely uncovered at the net-front prior to his goal, and Carlile was all the way up at the point like a forward. On the surface, this isn't a problem because of the Penguins' rotating PK, but Carlile is in this position frequently on the PK. He should probably have stayed down low with Karlsson prior to that sequence.
There is far too much risk in Carlile's game right now, and both Spencer Stastney and Ilya Solovyov, the latter playing his first NHL action of the season, were serviceable in this game. If Sam Girard is ready to go Thursday - or Trevor van Riemsdyk - I'm not sure that Carlile has been playing well enough to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis.
- Bryan Rust was injured sometime during the second period in this game, and he did not return. The only thing known up to this point is that it's a lower-body injury.
If he isn't good to go for Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers - and if he goes to injured reserve - I'd expect Avery Hayes or Rutger McGroarty to get the call, as they are lighting up the AHL right now with nine points each in six games.
In any case, that's a tough break for Rust, who was injured out of camp to start the season. This guy's biggest knock in the last decade has been his inability to stay healthy, and it's a shame because the Penguins are a better team when he's in the lineup.
- The Penguins are now 3-6-1 after 10 games. The Philadelphia Flyers - who took 10 games to win a hockey game - are now tied with them points-wise and have just one less win. And the Columbus Blue Jackets are just one point behind them in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
That said, the Penguins are still only four points removed from a playoff spot in the early going.
They take on Florida Thursday. Last season, they were 3-0 against the Panthers and outscored them, 19-9.
This is not last year's Florida team by any means, but it's also a depleted team. Brad Marchand is out for six weeks. Aleksander Barkov is out for a couple of months. Jacob Markstrom and Radko Gudas are both out day-to-day, with their statuses for Thursday uncertain.
I'm not quite as high on this Florida team as some others, but it will be a real test for the Penguins to see if they can put together a full 60-minute effort back in front of their home fans. Their last showing at home was a clinical 2-1 winning effort that ended in a shootout win against one of the league's best two-way teams in the Dallas Stars.
It's early. But they need to right the ship soon. They took some encouraging steps against Utah, but Thursday, in some respects, feels as near to a must-win as a game in October possibly can.
The New York Knicks are aiming to repeat as champions after ending a 53-year title drought, but they will face tough competition to do so.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs figure to lead the conversation, while the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics were among the teams that retooled in order to go up a level.
So, who will come out on top? And what about other important parts to the season, such as the NBA Cup and MVP award? Strat-O-Matic broke it down with a simulation of the upcoming season:
Best regular-season record
The Thunder went 64-18 to own the league’s best regular-season record last year. The simulation has them repeating the same record, while the Spurs drop a few wins at 59-23.
NBA Cup winner
The three NBA Cups have been won by the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Knicks. The simulation does not include a new winner, as the Lakers are predicted to top the Celtics for their second NBA Cup triumph.
MVP and Rookie of the Year winners
Three players have three-peated the regular-season MVP award: Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. That could hit four players total, as Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is predicted to win the MVP award for the third year running.
The league is also seeing an exciting crop of youngsters joining the league. Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson is predicted to claim the Rookie of the Year award, with Memphis Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer and Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson among the finalists.
Scoring leader
The scoring title in the league belongs to the player who finished with the highest points-per-game mark in the regular season. Lakers star Luka Doncic is predicted to win his third scoring title with an average of 32.4 points per game, slightly above Gilgeous-Alexander’s predicted 32.2 figure.
NBA Finals winner and Finals MVP
Sorry, New York. The Knicks’ repeat bid is predicted to end in the conference finals, where they fall to the Celtics in five games. On the other side, the Spurs take down the Houston Rockets in six games, pitting San Antonio and Boston in the NBA Finals.
From there, the Spurs go on to win in Game 7, with Victor Wembanyama winning Finals MVP after averaging 26.4 points per game.
Refused a work permit at Bournemouth, Pérez comes face to face with Liverpool’s head coach in Champions League
On Iñigo Pérez’s first day as a head coach he took a call from Andoni Iraola, just as he had every day for months. They had known each other for 22 years, lived in the same residency, come through the same academy and played in the same team; they had worked side by side, manager and assistant, and embarked on an adventure together. Now, though, Pérez was having to go it alone. At 36, he had become what his friend thought he would be from the moment they met, just not so soon. “He wished me luck and said he was there for me,” Pérez said, “said that if I ever needed anything …”
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 28: Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses for a portrait during Media Day at Target Center on September 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the eve of the 2026-27 NBA season, ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped an unexpected piece of Timberwolves-related news.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Defense forward Jaden McDaniels has agreed to a one-year, $40 million extension that will keep him under contract through the 2029-30 season, agents Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Basketball tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/PYtDRrLves
It seems to be the theme of this offseason for Minnesota. They have consistently been in the news with rarely a long break between important roster moves. From sending off two-thirds of their frontcourt for LaMelo Ball, to the LeBron “White Board” Saga, to Jonathan Kuminga choosing the Wolves over the Lakers – it’s been an active offseason!
For fans wondering why McDaniels seemed to almost randomly sign this one-year extension, Charania further provided details in a follow-up post. This was likely all information shared by Jaden’s agent, Nima Namakian.
McDaniels strategically secures an additional $40 million guaranteed for an additional season while protecting his upside and creating the flexibility to negotiate another extension as early as 2028 at a starting salary of up to 140% of the new higher $40M salary — or enter free agency in 2030 with 10 years of NBA service.
The 26-year-old now has total of four years and $124M on his Wolves deal.
Former Canis Hoopus employee, Dane Moore, had hinted in a podcast episode four months ago that this could’ve been an option. Just as he did when hypothesizing the Julius Randle to Brooklyn Nets salary dump option, Moore was once again on top of this one. For those who are concerned about the dollar amount, he provided a bit of context that should ease concerns about if he’s worth it.
The $40M extension Jaden McDaniels received is for the 2029-30 season.
In 2029-30, $40M will be 21% of the salary cap. 21% of the cap in this year's dollars is $34.6M. Below are the players making around that amount right now.
Jaden had a career season last year, averaging several highs in statistics like points per game, assists per game, and all three shooting percentages. He only further upped his game in the postseason, most notably embarrassing the Denver Nuggets in the first round the postseason.
It’s never a bad day to relive that performance.
Wolves President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, has rewarded the recently turned 26-year-old with a favorable extension. This may be a great time as well, considering the new role he’ll have as one of the leaders of the new-look Timberwolves. Yes, it’s just preseason, but he’s already proven that he’s ready for yet another breakout season.
Jaden McDaniels stats
PTS
REB
AST
STL
BLK
FG%
3P%
FT%
2025-26
14.8
4.2
2.7
1.1
1.0
.515
.412
.835
2026 postseason (vs DEN)
17.8
6.8
2.7
0.5
0.7
.494
.111
.810
2026-27 preseason (per 36)
25.7
7.4
2.6
1.3
0.9
.606
.714
1.00
Some of you have been arguing about his nickname in the comments section. Sith Lord. Seatbelt. Slim. McD. Whatever you want to call him, there’s one thing we can rest assured he will be called for the next four years.
Freddy Peralta was raised as a pro in Milwaukee, got lost in New York, found the greatest version of himself in Tampa Bay and now returns where it all began.
Only this time, he'll be climbing the biggest stage in baseball: Freddy Peralta and the Tampa Bay Rays vs. the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 World Series.
Peralta willed that scenario into reality Monday, Oct. 20, when he stretched his American League Championship Series shutout streak to 11 ⅔ innings and won Game 6 of this battle against the Cleveland Guardians, a 7-3 triumph that sent Tampa Bay to its third World Series in franchise history.
Peralta walked off with ALCS MVP honors, as he won Game 2, picked up two huge outs in relief in Game 4 and then won the clinching Game 6. It's just what he's been doing of late.
Since Aug. 26, Peralta has gone 7-0 with a 0.89 ERA in 10 games, including playoffs.
The Rays have won all 10 games.
"He's kind of put us on our back," Rays manager Kevin Cash acknowledged.
And who could have imagined that at the end of July, when Peralta was marooned in Queens with a 4.99 ERA after he was perhaps the most significant disappontment on a highly disappointing New York Mets team that thought acquiring him from Milwaukee was the last piece of a championship offseason.
They gave him a lifeline, though, dealing him out of last place in the NL East and into the penthouse of the AL East, acquiring three Rays minor leaguers in the deal. Suddenly, Peralta had new life, and no ill will toward his old employers.
"I’m very grateful for the Mets organization. They traded for me because they trusted my talent, trusted my career, and they support me," Peralta said in a postgame interview with TBS. "They were always taking care of me, trying to make me get my confidence back. They were really good about it.
"For some reason, it wasn’t able to click. But when I got here, everything changed."
Oh, did it.
Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder has nearly an entire pitching staff of reclamation projects and optimized arms. Yet he had barely two months to work with Peralta before the playoffs.
No matter. Snyder gradually got Peralta to improve his extension down the mound and get his vaunted fastball up in the zone. Gradually, it kicked in and for the past nearly two months, Peralta has been unbeatable.
"You know, it feels so good," Peralta said in his MVP press conference, "because of the way that we've been working on the little things - not only the pitching coach and all that, I mean everybody, from the trainers, people that helped me to feel better with the massage and all that, it's been amazing, great communication.
"They've been awesome with me. They've been giving the best of themselves to make me feel good on the field every day."
This will likely be a short-hop stay in Tampa Bay. Peralta is a free agent at year's end, one reason why Milwaukee traded him with a year of control left. With this World Series matching lower-revenue clubs, it's likely Peralta will find his way to a club more willing to pay a premium.
But there's a World Series to play in the meantime. Peralta admits it will be a little emotional facing old mates, seeing familiar faces, his life as a two-time Milwaukee All-Star and a Tampa Bay ALCS MVP colliding.
"I think that they are great," says Peralta of the Brewers. "They are amazing and we are very similar teams. I don’t know how the people, the fans are going to take it. But I’m happy to go over there. I have a lot of people I love over there, people who care about me, who happen to be there.
"To be able to compete and...take a lot of pictures and videos. Because it’s something that probably won’t happen again."
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: Pete Nance #35 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends the ball from E.J. Liddell #9 of the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at Barclays Center on April 07, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Pamela Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a nervous few days in which the Bucks waived Pete Nance from the non-guaranteed deal they signed him to in July to cut their official roster to 16—and then waived Kevin Porter Jr. yesterday to bring it to 15—the team announced that Nance has indeed signed another two-way contract to return to Milwaukee for a third season. This will be the 26-year-old’s final season of two-way eligibility.
Why was it a nervous few days? Well, as we wrote in the latest edition of Heard ‘em Say, by waiving Nance, the Bucks reportedly risked the very real possibility of another team snapping him up on a standard contract—something Milwaukee couldn’t realistically offer without taking a significant financial hit. Remember, the Bucks were already going to have to eat one standard contract—which ended up being KPJ’s $5.39m deal—and it seems clear they didn’t want to eat two. Cutting Nance was always going to be the “easy way out” because, as I mentioned, his standard contract was non-guaranteed; however, doing so carried risk, as Nance’s ability has clearly broken into the mainstream.
Make no mistake: while Nance will be on a two-way deal with the Bucks, Jenkins won’t treat him like a two-way player. I doubt he’ll even play much with the Wisconsin Herd this year; instead, I’d wager guys like Bogoljub Markovic and Nate Ament will spend more time in Oshkosh. Clearly, Horst and his team were shrewd enough to convince Nance to allow them to take advantage of the fact that he had a year of two-way eligibility remaining—which saves them having to sign him to a standard deal to keep him—but conversations were surely had about how that contract does not reflect the plans Horst and Co. have for him, both for this season and in the future. Just don’t be putting anything in writing, eh, Jon?
Nance is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 5.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.0 APG, shooting 42.0% from three, in a career-high 15.7 minutes per contest. All three of Milwaukee’s two-way contracts are now occupied.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: (EDITORS NOTE: this photo has been converted to black and white) Joshua Jefferson #9 of the Brooklyn Nets poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on July 15, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Joshua Jefferson, the 6’9” 23-year-old point forward taken at No. 28 in the Draft, has been the forgotten man this summer. Because of NBA regs, he couldn’t join the Nets Summer League team until the first game in Las Vegas. No practice, just a review of the playbook and the results were as expected: some smart plays but with the caveat that things will take time. He also was recovering from an ankle injury sustained in his final days at Iowa State. In three games, he averaged 7.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Then, he couldn’t practice in training camp, couldn’t play in any of the four preseason games because of back stiffness. Just three days ago, he was seen running wind sprints, seemingly not near activation…
Jordi Fernandez said Joshua Jefferson (back stiffness) is not ready to return:
“He hasn’t joined the group fully. He’s been part of the group, but he’s not ready to come back.”
Fernandez couldn’t answer whether Jefferson has had imaging. Here’s the rookie doing conditioning: pic.twitter.com/IN7OTK7eaj
So it was a surprise when the head coach announced Monday that Jefferson had participated in practice and would be ready for Wednesday’s game vs. the Charlotte Hornets.
“[Joshua] will be available, yeah. He just practiced, contact practice, and did a great job. I’m happy to see him back. He’s had a buildup and today he played with the rest of the group,” Fernandez said. Whether he makes his debut in the opener remains Fernandez decision.
Jefferson has the Nets excited despite the long road and injuries. He fits the Nets requirements of positional size, versatility and quick thinking. He can play next to Egor Demin or step in for him.
Indeed, according to insiders, the Nets demanded the exchange of picks — the 28th Timberwolves pick for the Nets 33rd — that got him to Brooklyn as part of the multi-team Julius Randle deal. Those same insiders said Jefferson was always an organization target. Scouts believed that if he had been younger, he would have done higher. Jefferson, in fact is the Nets oldest first round pick since Mason Plumlee in 2013. He’s also the ninth oldest player on this year’s roster.
At Media Day, Jefferson talked about his NBA role and how it will likely change from what he played at Iowa State.
“I think [creating with the ball in my hands] is a big part of who I am as a player,” Jefferson said as Erik Slater reported. “Creating for others, making the job easier and getting open shots for my teammates. It’s going to change a little bit with the amount of weapons that we have.
“So just getting it off the glass and then pushing in transition and playing out of closeouts and stuff like that is how I’m going to continue to integrate my game. Just making quick decisions with the ball, given I probably won’t have the ball as much as I did in college. So just understand that I’ve got to be effective in the opportunities that I get.”
As of Monday, only one Nets player — second round pick Tyler Bilodeau — won’t be available. The two-way is out with a shoulder sprain.
Freddy Peralta was named American League Championship Series MVP after the Rays booked their trip to the World Series on Monday with a 7-3 Game 6 win over the Guardians at Tropicana Field.
The ex-Mets pitcher allowed just one run in 12 innings pitched through three outings in the ALCS.
The right-hander pitched 5 ⅓ innings on Monday night in the series-clinching win and exited to a standing ovation from Rays fans
Tampa Bay Rays’ Freddy Peralta celebrates after winning the ALCS MVP following victory against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Getty Images
It’s a stark contrast from where things had been for Peralta in July after posting a 4.99 ERA with the Mets in 22 starts. He was dealt at the trade deadline to Tampa Bay for three prospects and his initial debut with his new club did not go as planned — giving up seven runs on nine hits against the Rockies — but things quickly turned around for him with his new club.
When asked by Lauren Shehadi what he would have said in July if he was told he’d be ALCS MVP, Peralta responded that he’d say, “You’re crazy.”
Freddy Peralta (51) of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Getty Images
“This is crazy and I am very happy to be here, to be part of this great group and this great organization,” Peralta said. “This is not only mine. We all earned this. This is for the boys.”
Through the Rays’ playoff run, Peralta has posted a 1.08 ERA and allowed just two earned runs.
“First thing was praying every day, as always, praying to God and asking to keep me humble, keep me on my feet, because you don’t know what can happen when you are going through moments like that,” he explained about the rough times and being traded. “I think when I got traded and when I got here, everything changed.”
New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) is pulled from the game during the fifth inning when the New York Mets played the Miami Marlins at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y., Friday, May 29, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
He called the coaches’ help “something that I never want to forget in life” and said he’s “very grateful to have people like that here and people that I never saw before, and now they are part of my family.”
Peralta, who came to the Mets in an offseason trade with Milwaukee to be their ace, finished 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts in a disappointing year for the Amazin’s
The Rays will face his old team, the Brewers, in the World Series, which will begin on Friday in Milwaukee.
As Wrigley View Rooftop appeals a federal judge’s decision granting summary judgment to its neighbor, the Chicago Cubs, and entering a permanent injunction blocking the rooftop owners from selling tickets to watch games, concerts and other events at Wrigley Field, the two sides are waging another battle with implications that could extend far beyond Wrigleyville.
The sides are arguing over whether U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman should unseal the trial court record and all the financial information, contracts and potential trade secrets it contains.
The timing is especially important given that MLB is expected to institute a lockout after the current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.
The labor dispute will concern numerous issues, but at its core will be money, including how MLB revenue is divided between owners and players and the owners’ push for a salary cap. There are fears the lockout could extend well into 2027 and lead to lost games.
In professional sports labor disputes, players’ unions often argue that teams are more profitable than they claim. Unsealed financial records from the Cubs could attract attention well beyond this litigation, including from the MLBPA as it prepares for a potentially contentious labor fight.
Unpacking Wrigley View Rooftop’s arguments
In a memorandum authored by Matthew De Preter and other attorneys from Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa, Wrigley View Rooftop offers several arguments in hopes of persuading U.S Coleman to unseal the record.
Wrigley View Rooftop highlights that the Cubs “chose to bring this case” and thus “chose to put information at issue in the presumptively public forum of the Federal Court system.”
Unlike litigation in federal court, arbitration and mediation are generally conducted outside the public judicial process and often subject to confidentiality arrangements. Wrigley View Rooftop maintains there is a “strong presumption” in favor of public access to judicial records.
Last year, Coleman denied Wrigley View Rooftop’s motion to dismiss on the grounds that an arbitration provision in a prior settlement agreement was an “improper mechanism” for dismissing the Cubs’ lawsuit. In 2004, the Cubs settled litigation with rooftop businesses, including Wrigley View Rooftop, through agreements that allowed the businesses to sell rooftop access in exchange for payments to the Cubs. The team’s agreement with Wrigley View Rooftop expired on Dec. 31, 2023, and while the Cubs struck deals with other rooftop businesses, they didn’t do so with Wrigley View Rooftop.
Wrigley View Rooftop insists that the Cubs should not “hide behind its self-anointed confidentiality designations to shield the public from the full record of the case and prevent” Wrigley View Rooftop from “fully responding.”
To that point, Wrigley View Rooftop objects to some of the media coverage of the litigation. One specific grievance is with the headline for Sportico’s Aug. 17 story, “Cubs Slam Wrigley View Rooftop as ‘Parasitic’ in Legal Battle.”
The story summarizes and analyzes the Cubs’ criticism of Wrigley View Rooftop’s business model of selling seats and concessions to ticket holders to watch events at Wrigley Field, a business model the Cubs portrayed as parasitic. (To be clear, the Cubs used the word “parasitic,” and Sportico wrote about that.) Wrigley View Rooftop also objects to several stories and videos published by other media.
Wrigley View Rooftop maintains that “the bias of this coverage” reflects the Cubs’ redacting information in court filings to present the team in a more favorable light.
The Cubs, Wrigley View Rooftop insists, “pick and choose what information” to reveal in court filings “so as to unfairly frame” the Cubs’ image “while deriding” Wrigley View Rooftop. The company maintains it would be in the “public interest” for the record to be released.
In addition, Wrigley View Rooftop argues the Cubs have violated the terms of a confidentiality order issued by Coleman, who set parameters for the two sides to discuss which materials ought to be designated as confidential and sealed. Wrigley View Rooftop maintains that the Cubs haven’t explained the rationale for opposing the removal of confidentiality designations.
Wrigley View Rooftop also objects to the sealing of information regarding the Cubs’ installation of signage and screens that partially block rooftops’ views into Wrigley Field. These screens and signs “are within the plain view of the public” and ought not to be considered trade secrets, Wrigley View Rooftop charges.
The company also contends that if it is “parasitic,” as the Cubs charge, the Cubs could have stopped any misappropriation “simply by installing opaque screens that fully blocked the view into Wrigley Field.”
Unpacking the Cubs’ counterarguments
The Cubs offer a starkly different perspective on this topic.
Through a brief authored by Martin Roth and other attorneys from Kirkland & Ellis, the Cubs argue that it is unconvincing for Wrigley View Rooftop to ask Coleman to unseal documents both parties agreed to keep sealed—including documents Wrigley View Rooftop wants sealed—on the basis that the sealing “has somehow rendered [Wrigley View Rooftop] unable to speak to the press.”
The Cubs, which say they’re open to unsealing some documents with appropriate redactions, object to unsealing the entire record, particularly given that both sides have “legitimate business needs for confidentiality” that include “privacy required to protect the Cubs’ trade secrets or their customers’ personally identifying information.”
The Cubs also argue there’s no case precedent for the proposition that “an inability to effectively persuade the media of a party’s position requires widespread unsealing of an entire Court record.”
Further, the Cubs insist the media coverage hasn’t favored the team.
To that end, the Cubs note that last week ESPN published a feature based on its interview with Wrigley View Rooftop owner Aidan Dunican, with the headline “Inside a Wrigleyville Rooftop Owner’s Fight with the Cubs.”
The ESPN story, the Cubs highlight, contains “professionally curated photographs of Dunican on his rooftop, interviews with his friends, supporters, and neighbors, and commentary from an attorney who formerly represented the rooftops in previous iterations of this dispute.”
The Cubs also point out that four of the story’s first five paragraphs mention the screen the Cubs installed, “the only specific issue [Wrigley View Rooftop] claims” it has been “unable to talk about,” the Cubs charge.
In that same vein, the Cubs argue nothing has prevented Wrigley View Rooftop from discussing the case publicly, and the public hasn’t “faced any barriers” to discussing it, either.
The Cubs point out that unsealing the case record would expose customers’ names, contact information and personal credit card numbers.
Further, the Cubs argue that unsealing would reveal “highly sensitive information, such as specific pricing, costs, margins, growth strategy, and financial projections for multiple products (such as game tickets, concessions, apparel, and more),” as well as other materials that are “routinely sealed.”
The Cubs point out that it’s not just the team that has an interest in protecting this information from public review—it’s also other MLB teams. Unsealing, the Cubs say, “would harm the Cubs and potentially other Major League Baseball stakeholders if this information were publicly disclosed.”
To support this point, the Cubs note that Coleman “made no findings” as to precise dollar figures for Cubs expenses and thus didn’t publicly disclose finances. Instead, Coleman offered more generic projections as they were sufficient for purposes of reaching legal conclusions.
“That a baseball team would incur expenses related to ballpark operations, payroll, construction and equipment, and related topics is obvious and comports with the Court’s comment that it also relied on ‘common sense,” the Cubs write.
In addition, the Cubs note that sharing “detailed financial information,” including the Cubs’ contracts with other rooftop businesses, runs counter to the fact that the Cubs, Wrigley View Rooftop and other rooftop businesses are all, to some degree, competitors.
The Cubs’ contracts with other rooftop businesses could contain “highly sensitive competitive information such as audit rights, margins, and payment terms,” the disclosure of which, the Cubs insist, “could harm competition in a competitive market environment.”
In the days ahead, Coleman will issue a ruling on whether to unseal all, some or none of the documents. It’s fair to say that readership of whatever is unsealed would extend well beyond the Cubs and Wrigley View Rooftop.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 5: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 5, 2026 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Waiting for a new season can be excruciating, tiresome, and hard. It can feel like an eternity. As a fan, you are usually left with questions: why did the past season go up in flames, and what needs to happen to finally, please, finally do better in the future? To somehow reach that goal that many franchises chase for decades. Or 53 years, to be exact, as the Knicks had.
Of course, our beloved ‘Bockers ended that wait, and everything felt a lot different this past offseason. It was the dream that we never wanted to stop dreaming, the summer we all never thought was possible. While others lived and died by some unknown rookie’s shooting form in Las Vegas, we were busy scheduling Late Night TV gigs, rewatching YouTube highlights 24/7, and emptying bank accounts for the next very special and definitely not limited championship edition of some sort. The Knicks, and we as fans, deservedly basked in the glory of the franchise’s third title, an event that will never be forgotten and will be cherished forever. And yet a new season is still knocking on the door.
A rarely up and mostly down preseason for the Knicks didn’t exactly worry anybody, but now the time of, “Ahh, we’ll get em next time” is over. The real games begin this week, and if New York is ready for the challenge yet is anybody’s guess. The Knicks have shown their mental fortitude plenty of times, especially during their magical playoff run that led them to the NBA’s promised land last June. But dialing up your focus on a night when a banner goes up in the rafters and the players get their championship rings is something entirely different. Imagine focusing on your daily tasks when your biggest life achievement is seemingly celebrated by everybody? Except, of course, by the guys who flew their helicopters down I-95 to derail the festivities.
Sixers hope to spoil Knicks’ big night
28.3, 26.9, 20.9, 28.7, and a meager 16—those are last year’s point averages for Philadelphia’s projected starters this upcoming season. To say that they got a bit of scoring potential would be an understatement. Somehow the 76ers found a way to turn one of the ugliest roster setups in the Association into a serious, realistic “All In” push for a championship. After the Boston Celtics basically gift-wrapped Jaylen Brown in a trade for them, they also got some good news from LeBron James, who decided that his last basketball stand should be in Philly.
Mike Gansey, Elton Brand and Jameer Nelson, the newly formed braintrust behind the Sixers’ surge, also managed to complement the headline-grabbing moves by making some smart additions along the edges of the roster. Dean Wade and his nagging defense arrived from Cleveland, the lazy but gifted Anfernee Simons signed for little money after an unremarkable stint in Chicago, and former NBA champ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be counted on to provide veteran leadership. On top of that, the Sixers found Labaron Philon Jr. in the Draft, a lanky, creative combo guard who won’t score the 22 points per contest he put up for Alabama but who will clearly add another dimension off Philly’s bench.
JUST IN: The Knicks home opener and ring night vs. the 76ers is the MOST expensive regular season NBA game ever.
But even if the rest of the roster is more solid than usual for a freshly formed top-heavy superteam, in the end everything will come down to Philly’s big guns next season—for better or worse. Individually, they are maybe the most talented group in the entire league, and all their stars have big-time playmaking potential next to their obvious scoring punch. Nick Nurse will have the mammoth task of somehow cramping all these individuals into a collective game plan and already tried to do so in the preseason. What ultimately transpired, though, was less five guys pulling on one string and more turns of creating advantages in selected two man games. Which could already be quite a lot in Philly’s case.
Massive potential, question marks for 76ers
The new look Sixers have gigantic potential in the pick-and-roll and can utilize all sorts of different weapons. Imagine defending Tyrese Maxey’s drive around a Joel Embiid screen first and then also matching up with a LeBron James-Jaylen Brown two-man game on the weak side. As a cherry on top, you have VJ Edgecombe flying in along the baseline. Yeah, not really fun—at least not for most teams in the league that will already be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of talent Philly can roll out on any given night. How often they roll, of course, is one of the many questions surrounding this group.
Because for all their potential, the 76ers are rail-thin in the frontcourt after former Knick Ariel Hukporti ruptured his Achilles. Fate has it that this is exactly the spot where Philly has to count on Joel Embiid to at least be somewhat healthy, something he isn’t exactly known for, to say the least. The talkative center seemed to have shed a few pounds in the offseason and probably looked healthier than he did in a long time lately. Yet make no mistake, those banged up knees are still there and will be an enormous obstacle for any type of defense the Sixers will try to muster. Especially beside an aging LeBron James who needs his off nights more often these days, too.
Besides the daunting task of managing a roster crying for chemistry and load management, at the same time the new Philadelphia 76ers might present one of the more interesting social studies basketball has seen in years. A self-absorbed, in his eyes always underappreciated, streaming Aficionado mixing with an even more self-absorbed, aging superstar who needs the limelight like flies need you know what – lean back and watch some terror on the squad unfold. It surely can get interesting. For Philly, only as long as the 7-foot-1 floppy disc doesn’t want to be treated like a leftover and joins in on the fun, as well. Their promising young, exciting and likable backcourt, you ask? Well, there’s always the backseat. All jokes, opponent’s wishful thinking, and LeBronisms about happiness aside, this thing could fall apart before Embiid’s first scheduled night off.
A banner going up at the Garden
On Tuesday, you can bet that the Liberty Ballers will try to avenge some of their latest playoff losses at the hands of the Knicks. They have way more to prove than New York, and that motivation alone might be enough to offset some of the obvious Xs and Os challenges Philadelphia faces against Mike Brown’s guys. We all saw what Jalen Brunson and his friends did to Joel Embiid in the pick-and-roll last season, and there is no reason to believe they can’t do it again this year, too.
Opening Night often is about more than Xs and Os, though. It’s about managing emotions, shaking off rust, and getting accustomed to live game action again. It’s about dealing with new teammates, new expectations, and your body feeling different than it did half a year ago. For the Knicks, it will be a tightrope act of celebrating past accomplishments while caring about a contest dwarfed by those deeds. They wouldn’t be the first veteran-led title team that mismanages a night like that.
But even if things don’t go well on the court for the Knicks, do not despair, fans, as hard as it might be to watch LeBron and company prance around MSG like they won something meaningful. They won’t have, unlike what your Knicks did in June, which will be celebrated for one more night and for good reason. Many things (like players’ hairlines) aren’t forever; banners and titles are, though. Enjoy every minute of the celebrations and let the game unfold as it may. Let’s go Knicks!
Game Details
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (0-0) at New York Knicks (0-0) Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM ET Place: Madison Square Garden, NYC TV: NBC Follow: @ptknicksblog
Injury Report
Backup center Adem Bona missed the preseason for Philly with a foot sprain but practiced again on Sunday unlike Domenick Barlow (back) and Dean Wade. Wade is a game time decision due to a bum ankle sustained in the preseason finale. Josh Hart is dealing with his own ankle injury for the Knicks but figures to be available.
Going into the 2026-27 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins began with the most players on injured reserve and/or designated non-roster with 10.
They've slowly been crawling back to full health. But they may have been dealt another blow Monday, and it involves one of those players who were injured to start the season.
Forward Bryan Rust, who began 2026-27 on IR with an upper-body injury and missed the opening three games of the season, left the second period of Monday's game against the Utah Mammoth with a lower-body injury and did not return.
Rust, 34, has three goals in six games on the season.
The Penguins have dealt with several injuries to their forward unit so far this season, as Rust, Justin Brazeau, Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov have all missed games. In addition to the NHL squad, forwards Tristan Broz, Oliver Okuliar, and Melvin Fernstrom were also on IR to begin the season, although all have since returned.
On the blue line, Sam Girard was injured during Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and Trevor van Riemsdyk is still on IR with a lower-body injury and rehabbing in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins next play Thursday at home, when they host the Florida Panthers. No further update on Rust has been provided.
